This technique is often used in Indian cooking where it's called tempering. Every bite of a curry carries the essential flavors of the oil—chopped onion suddenly has the piney taste of cardamom or the nutty taste of cinnamon throughout.

How to Quickly Infuse Oil With Whole Spices

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add an oil with a high smoking point (like canola or vegetable) and heat it up for about a minute before adding whole spices. These can include but are not limited to bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds—any whole spice will open up its aromatics in oil.

In less than two minutes, the spices are fragrant, the oil is flavored, and the pan is ready for the other ingredients of your stew or curry. Avoid overcooking the spices—if the warm spices can linger in every ingredient, then so can an acrid burnt taste. Use a slotted spoon to remove the whole spices before continuing to cook.

Use this trick to build a dense chutney. Frying the coriander before adding the sweet sticky fruit and molasses gives it a toastier backbone.